Anthony Davis Brings Hope To New Orleans

As Anthony Davis put on that bright blue hat, strolled to the stage, and flashed that wide smile as he shook NBA Commissioner David Stern’s hand, it was clear a dream had been realized.

Davis has probably hoped this moment would come to fruition his entire life. All the hard work he put in at the gym had finally paid off. His dreams had come true.

But as Davis was selected No. 1 in the NBA Draft last night by the New Orleans Hornets, his wasn’t the only dream that came true. Securing the best NBA prospect in more than a decade also was a dream come true for the city of New Orleans. The city has had its fair share of nightmarish events this past year, and the hope is, Davis can be the start of a much-needed turnaround of fortune for the city.

Seven years ago, New Orleans was floundering. Coming off of Hurricane Katrina, and with residents fleeing the city, it seemed that their sports franchises would end up leaving too. Then Drew Brees came to the New Orleans Saints, changed the culture, reinvigorated the city, and brought the first-ever Super Bowl championship in 2009. During that time, the Hornets had one of the best young stars in Chris Paul, and New Orleans’ sports were flourishing.

But this past year, everything that could have went wrong, essentially did. In basketball, their young star demanded a trade. After securing what they thought was a trade that would help them rebuild, the league intervened, causing all sorts of negative headlines and whispers of conspiracy. All the while, the league, which owned the Hornets, was vigorously looking for a new owner to buy a team that no one seemed to want.